Fascinating film about a micro-story of war within the context of the Battle of Leningrad. The film is masterful in all its parts, with well-constructed characters and highly believable actors. The narrative construction and scene sequences are built with an exceptionally high cinematic level, maintaining narrative tension from the first frame to the last. The viewer is transported to a perfectly recreated setting, enabling them to experience the tension, drama, and distressing sensations of the wartime experiences that many young Russians and women had to endure, employed in combat, logistics, and various service roles.
Noteworthy is the work of the young and courageous Russian women who went above and beyond their stereotyped feminine roles of the era - and unfortunately even today - to contribute with their efforts and lives to the resistance against the Nazi oppressor. This film is another example of contemporary Russian production, adding to the extensive showcase of Russia's cinematic capability, which has nothing to envy in comparison to the best Hollywood productions in the war genre, often filled with biased perspectives and invented heroes. In this film, heroes are defined by their collective small acts rather than the grandiosity of constructing a cinematic superman who can do anything.
